More bounty...

We have added a few rabbits - I hate to admit it, but they are primarily supplying us with fertilizer. They are cute, but squirmy - maybe after a few weeks of holding them they will come to appreciate us. Right now, the only time we get much of a reaction is when we bring them fresh veggies.

We also have 3 newly hatched chicklets!! A sweet hen from our flock was simply determined to sit on a clutch of eggs...a few others have tried to no avail, but here we are looking at these 3 little cuties...she seems to be a good mother, she has already taught them to eat and drink, and they are scratching around the hay looking for treats with their teeny tiny feet...so cute.

Next week, we are expecting to 'rescue' 2 peacocks, a mini goat, and another rabbit...I have heard the peacocks can be a bit noisy, but that as soon as they acclimate to their new home, they are good 'watchbirds' and will roost in the highest trees, so they won't need barn space. We shall see - too noisy and they will need to find new homes. The goat is called Lovey, and is really cute...she will earn her keep helping with some poison ivy removal near the vineyard.

Our guests love to visit the animals and they all love to feed and hold the little ones - I am sure Lovey will enjoy the attention. Come see us and the new additions! FALL IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER - and so is the reason so many people come to the mountains of Virginia - leaves will be changing soon, and the nights will be cool and crisp...great apple picking or winery touring weather. www.cartermountainorchard.com

The Bounty of August....

https://www.greenwoodgourmet.com/blog.asp

This is a great little blog, from one of our favorite local shops...I hope they do another one looking back on 2009! It was a fantastic place to get pumpkins and gourds last fall (we will be back!), and also lunch on the way to wineries or Blue Mountain Brewery (unless you are having lunch there of course). We are looking into having a pumpkin stand of our own here, and with a little luck, we will have a nice place to take fall pictures and get a good jack-o-lantern pumpkin or some other interesting gourds...

I found myself with a little time this past month, and re-read 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle'. It was funnier this time around - maybe because I was having such a great summer and had time to appreciate the writing. What a book! What an experiment! Most people can't begin to do what this family did, living entirely off local foods for one full year (mostly what they grew, froze or canned). I appreciated their exceptions - coffee and olive oil I am sure I wouldn't want to do without.

It does make you think though - how much we take for granted, why DO we have to have mealy tomatoes out of season? I know that by making local purchases, and mostly eating in season, our food tastes much better than if we didn't. And even people who haven't ever thought about this idea before probably instinctively understand the basics: why do think people love bean soup in the winter and watermelon in July? Because we can keep dried beans in a pantry all winter, and watermelon needs long hot days to get good and juicy. I can't quite break from my Florida roots - I know that our Virginia strawberries are better than anything shipped 700 miles. And I buy them from a farm 2 miles down the road in May and June. BUT...I also know that in February, Plant City has warm, ripe juicy berries - and when I see them in the store, I give in. Same with Mangoes in August, and oranges in December. Those don't grow here and they never will - so I indulge, and remember living in Florida. What I do try to avoid is mangoes in January and oranges in August...that may be the season on the other side of the planet, but that's a little too much fossil fuel with my produce....700 miles is slightly better than 3000, but not as good as the farm next door, I know.

Some other good advice I keep in mind when shopping for family or the inn: if your grandmother would recognize it, it is probably ok to eat. Actually, Michael Pollan said pretty much if ANYONE'S grandmother would recognize something, it is probably ok...my grandma might not know what tofu was, but plenty of Japenese grannies would. On the other hand, which one of them would recognize much of what is on the labels of the foods people buy these days - some ingredients are downright unpronounceable - and we are supposed to EAT it?? For anyone wondering: American cheese is NOT cheese - "processed cheese food" doesn't equal anything near the fresh, local Virginia cow, sheep and goat cheeses we have available here, and in many other places also.

Take time to look around your area - you might be amazed at what you can purchase locally - and spending only $10 a week at a local farm instead of buying from a chain will help your neighbor and you! And if the mealy tomatoes in January sit there, well, maybe someone will get the message that we are standing up for our food choices and demanding better for ourselves.